Camp Half Blood Celebrates the Holidays
by mariarodz
Summary: Camp Half Blood celebrates the holidays. How did they do it? Leave your thoughts!
1. Thanksgiving

**WE EAT A TURKEY- CAMP HALF BLOOD CELEBRATES THE HOLIDAYS**

**THANKSGIVING  


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It was the fourth Thursday of November, which meant it was Thanksgiving, a day where all the cabins join together to eat a meal in honor to the gods. We sacrificed hearty amounts of our platter into the fire as an offering. Thanksgiving was a very important holiday here at Camp Half Blood. It was a day dedicated solely to our godly parent, to honor them. Every action worthy of recognition was done in the gods' name. It's a lot like the Christian Thanksgiving; we eat turkey and rice, and drink eggnog, but we do it in the name of the gods.

I enjoy Thanksgiving. The food is exceptionally well cooked. It's up to godly standards, you know, it kind of has to be. I got ready for the day ahead. When I walked out of my cabin, I could see the streamers of the different autumn colors hanging in the cabins. Well, except the Ares cabin, they decorated it with blood red streamers and a turkey's head with two XX's for eyes. The Demeter cabin had decorated theirs with gold and bown streamers. All in all, the camp looked cheerful, which wasn't so often it did.

I walked to the mess hall, where they had a Thanksgiving special. It was a roasted turkey omelet, with mashed potatoes. I know it's a weird breakfast, but it's good. The Satyrs and nymphs ate vegan, so they would skip on the turkey and eat the rice. I sat down at my respective table, and continued to eat, excited for the day ahead. I could see Annabeth looking at me from the Athena table. I smiled, and she smiled back. It's sort of an awkward relationship, so we just kind of kept it simple.

Chiron had allowed us to excuse our morning activities to help prepare the feast. I didn't expect it to be this much food. There were about ten turkeys being roasted, twenty batches of white rice being cooked, and so many baked potatoes I couldn't count them. I helped out with the desserts and drinks. The lady handed me a spoon and we started making a cake. It was blue velvet chocolate cake, my favorite (I added the blue food coloring without the lady noticing). Annabeth and her cabin were seasoning the turkeys and putting them in the ovens. The Satyrs and nymphs were baking the potatoes. They were kind of disgusted by the whole turkey thing.

"I love Thanksgiving" Annabeth said.

I grinned. "It's okay, I guess" To be honest, I liked Annabeth a lot, and I made that clear last week, but this just seemed like a desperate attempt to talk to me. We just worked awkwardly together. Her hair was done up in a ponytail, some stray hairs matted to her face. She looked like she'd been roasting forty turkeys in three minutes. She looked good.

The campers were all pitching in with their given talent. The Apollo cabin was playing holiday music and hunting turkeys, the Ares cabin was killing the turkeys, the Demeter cabin was growing herbs and spices, the Aphrodite cabin was decorating the tables, the Hephaestus cabin was fixing the mess hall, and the Dionysus kid, Pollux, was making wine for the over-21 people, which was Chiron, Mr. D... and no one else. The rest of us cabins: Poseidon, Hades, Athena, and Hermes, were helping cook the food.

"Campers! It's time for Thanksgiving. Everything should be cooked and ready by now. Ladies, bring out the turkey! Hermes cabin, please bring the rice, and the Satyrs and nymphs, can you bring the potatoes and desserts? Thank you" Chiron ordered. The ladies brought out the turkey as they were told, and so did the Hermes cabin and the Satyrs and nymphs. In a matter of minutes, the entire camp was seated in a huge O shaped table around a campfire. Chiron stood up. "Thank you to everyone who has helped make this a wonderful and uneventful Thanksgiving. Now, please everyone take a portion of your food and... well, you know the drill"

We all took the biggest, juiciest piece of turkey. "Now please pray silently" Chiron said. "Thank you, Oh, almighty gods, for giving us peace, and health, and for giving these living demigods another chance to live. Hades, lord of the dead, please seek out our demigods who died a hero's death, and treat them the way a true hero should be treated. We pray for Silena Beauregard, Charles Beckendorf, and Luke Castellan, for these souls should be forever known as great mortal heroes. Accept our offering, Zeus, and help us get through another year of the most tranquility we can muster. Oh, Athena, please guide us to use our knowlegdge in a useful way. Poseidon, help us, Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Hera, Hermes, Apollo, Artemis, Hestia, help us. All the gods, please help us. To the gods!" Chiron raised his glass.

"To the gods!" we all echoed.

We sat down after our prayers and ate. That was great turkey. The Satyrs and nymphs favored the rice. We all ate happily, and shared the same comment about how great the food was. It was nice knowing that we helped make all this a wonderful Thanksgiving.

The nymphs brought dessert when we all finished eating. There were about thirty cakes, and two of them were blue. Annabeth looked at me.

"You did that?" she whispered. I nodded. She chuckled. The blue cake was placed in front of me and Annabeth, and we both went for the same slice of cake and our hands touched. Annabeth blushed. Another, yet again, awkward moment. We took separate pieces of cake and ate it.

After Thanksgiving was done, we still had to clean up. The ladies took care of most of it, and the Hermes cabin helped with the rest. After that, we had normal camp activities. While I was walking back to Ancient Greek, I saw Annabeth. I twisted her around. "Hey. Happy Thanksgiving" I smiled awkwardly.

"You, too" she smiled.

"So, um, we have Ancient Greek, remember?" I asked.

"Oh, yeah, let's go" she said. We walked side by side back to Ancient Greek, and our hands rubbed against each other. I moved my hand ever so slightly so it would be holding hers. She didn't pull away.


	2. Christmas

**CAMP HALF BLOOD CELEBRATES THE HOLIDAYS**

**CHRISTMAS**

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The Stoll brothers woke me from my sleep. They were yelling at my door, well, everyone's cabins, really, and honestly, I think you wouldn't hesitate to whack them in the head, since it was FOUR FREAKING IN THE MORNING!

"Wake up! It's Christmas! WAKE UP!" They yelled. Through a bullhorn. I was very tempted to wash them away, but decided against it. It's Christmas.

Well, here, I guess you could call it Godsmas, but whatever. It's just a holiday where people give each other gifts and love and all that. So, I unwillingly got up from my bed and opened my door.

"Guys, do you really want me to wash you away? On Christmas?" I asked angrily.

"Sorry, Perce. But it's CHRISTMAS! Where's your Christmas spirit?" Travis asked.

"Well, thanks to you, bursting in my eardrums. Can you do this, oh, maybe, four hours later?" I yelled

"You want to get your presents or not?" Connor asked, obviously his patience worn out.

"Like I said, four hours from now"

"Do whatever you want, Perseus!" Connor called. It enrages me every time someone calls me by my real name. I went back to bed, hoping to get at least two more hours of sleep before the Stolls began their Wee-Hours Christmas again. It

frustrated me when I heard the sound of a maraca outside. Don't ask me why we have a maraca in Camp. I guess it's for the few that like it, 'cause I certainly don't!

"I SAID KEEP IT QUIET!" I screamed at the door. Before I could even realize it, a sad Silena stood at the other side. I ran to the window. "Sorry! I thought you were Connor!" I shouted. Silena looked at me with a weird face.

"How can you mistake me for Connor?" she asked in disbelief.

"They were making a riot outside. Didn't you hear them?"

"We take our beauty sleep very seriously. We wear earplugs" she explained.

"Oh..." I said lamely.

"Well, anyway, uh, Merry Christmas" she said awkwardly.

"Merry Christmas! And sorry! Thanks anyway!" I said.

Before I could close the door, Grover burst in.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS!" he yelled at me.

"Grover! It's four o'clock in the morning. Can you give me a break, please?"

"Sorry! I just wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas! Geez!" he said sadly.

"Well, then, Merry Christmas, I'll see you in four hours, okay?" I pushed him lightly out the door. And with that, he left. I went to my bed, and closed my eyes, praying no one else disturbed me for the next few hours. Thankfully, no one did. Until

seven o'clock in the morning.

"Campers!" Chiron called, "Wake up early today! We have to give you your presents before we carry on with today's activities!"

I sat in my bed with a groan, but I eventually got to go outside. The camp was decorated beautifully. Streamers hung neatly from the trees, ornaments adorned the cabins, and every cabin had at least one streamer. Ares, of course was red,

Demeter was green, Athena was white, and Poseidon was white, too. And so on and so forth.

I walked out to smell the scent of wood pine. It was something Chiron did only during the holidays. Mr. D couldn't hate it more. He liked the scent of freshly brewed wine, which he had been banned from, so as you can guess, he was needy and

grumpy.

On Christmas morning, all the campers gathered around Thalia's pine, which was as tall as a skyscraper, and was decorated with hand-painted globes, different colored lights, and a lightning bolt at the very top. I guess it's the Greek way of

altering Christmas.

Under the tree, there were many presents. The ground was barely visible. All the presents were wrapped in delicate, hand-woven, honey-colored paper, courtesy of the wood nymphs. Red, green, and white bows rested at the top of each gift,

according to the color streamer of each cabin. I could see the younger ones reaching for the gifts, but the older counselors held them back.

"Campers, calm down, please. The gift ceremony will begin in just a moment" Chiron announced. "Mr. D?"

"Ho, ho, ho. Merry Christmas, brats. Yippee" the always unenthusiastic Mr. D. said.

"Ladies first, shall we?" Chiron asked. "Athena cabin?" Chiron motioned for them to come forward. The cabin searched around the sea of presents until each found theirs. There were expressions of happiness, joy, some weirdness, and

excitement. As so it continued with the rest of the cabins, until only my cabin was left.

It was a lone, small box with a white bow at the top. I took it gratefully, and then headed back to the crowd.

I took the unopened gift with me to the dining pavilion, where we all joined for a special breakfast. I sat down in the round table, and with my breakfast before me, I opened my gift.

It was a simple white card that lay on top of soft hay. I took the card wondrously, and opened it. It read.

_Dear Percy, _

_Look to your right._

_Merry Christmas, _

_Poseidon._

In small letters underneath, it read:

_To contact, please dial 1-800-TRIDENT_

Hesitantly, I looked at my right, and a smile grew on my face.

"Tyson!" I hugged the big guy.

"Percy! Hello! How have you been?" he asked.

"Fine! Merry Christmas! And you?"

"Merry Christmas to you, too! I have been fine, too. I have made some shields in the forges in daddy's kingdom. He says they're very pretty" he smiled.

"I'm sure they are" Then suddenly, Tyson noticed Chiron.

"PONY!" he ran over to him. Tyson hugged Chiron.

"It's Chiron, my dear fellow. How nice to see you here. Merry Christmas" he said with a smile.

"Merry Christmas to you, too!"

The Stoll brothers came up next to me.

"Merry Christmas, Perseus!" they yelled in my ear. The waves nearby where taunting as I almost drowned them.

"Thank you. So very much" I said sarcastically.

The only person I hadn't heard from today was Annabeth.

"How is Annabeth?" Tyson asked.

"Fine, I guess. I haven't heard from her today"

"She is in her table, and she is looking at us" he pointed out. I noticed what he was talking about, and I waved. She waved back.

She came to our table after a few minutes, and she sat beside me.

"Hey, Percy. Merry Christmas" she and I had grown a little closer together since Thanksgiving, so she was more comfortable around me now.

"Merry Christmas to you, too. Tyson came"

"Yeah, I see. Merry Christmas, Tyson" she said happily.

"Hi, Annabeth! Merry Christmas to you, too" he said excitingly.

Before we could finish our conversation, everything fell to silence. A shining sliver light appeared in the entrance of the pavilion, and a Hunter stood before us.

"Merry Christmas, everyone!" Thalia said.

"Thalia!" Annabeth ran to her "It's so good to see you!"

"It's really good to see you, too! Hey, Percy, hi, Tyson" she greeted.

"Thals! It's good to have you here" I hugged her.

"Thanks, you too! Look, I'm gonna go get something to eat. I'll talk to you guys, later, okay?" she said while running off to the eating area.

"Sure" we said.

We sat back at our table, and continued with small talk.

"It feels like a good Christmas" I said while I looked at Tyson and Annabeth.

"Certainly" Annabeth said. She reached for my cheek and kissed it, and I blushed. Before I could say anything, Tyson came from behind us.

"GROUP HUG!" he yelled as he squished us together. Yep, it was certainly gonna be a very good Christmas.

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**Hi! I hope you had an awesome ChristmaHannuKwanzaa! Or whatever is it you celebrate! Next up is New Year's Eve and New Year's :)**


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